When it Rains
by newyork24-7
Summary: A stroke of bad luck leaves Jenny in need of cheering up. Jibbs.
1. Chapter 1

**I was going to wait to start posting this. But I'm unbelievably bored today.**

**This is just an opening chapter, it will get better.**

**It shouldn't have too many chapters, and is really just meaningless fluff. Although updates may be sporadic.**

* * *

Jenny swung her chair around to look out of her large picture window, her phone clasped half-heartedly to her ear as she made a vague attempt to listen to the ranting man on the other end of the line.

Her eyebrow raised as she took in the raging storm outside; at least for once the weather suited her mood. She rolled her eyes as the rant continued. Once she got off this phone she was going to throttle Jethro.

Almost on cue the door to her office flew open and the man in question stomped in, Cynthia's head popped through the door only seconds later and she mouthed an apology at her boss. Jenny gave a smile that was bordered on a grimace and waved her assistant out, signifying that she didn't hold her responsible for Jethro's appalling manners.

She turned her attention back to the call, glancing up once more when she heard Jethro let out an impatient huff of breath. She met his glare head on, her eyes flashing. Finally she interrupted the rant that was coming perilously close to giving her a migraine. "Mr Hodgins, while I appreciate that your employee is upset at the way he was _treated,_" she narrowed her eyes meaningfully at Jethro at this point, only just resisting the urge to tut when his eyes gleamed in amusement.

"You have to appreciate that he was about to contaminate a crime scene which may have compromised my Agent's ability to do their job and find whoever was responsible."

She paused again, listening to the reply, before continuing, "I have no intention of stifling the press's right to free speech, but neither will I be allowing you to traipse over vital evidence in your hunt for a story."

Her eyes narrowed as Jethro dropped himself into the seat opposite to her, his mouth now twitching. She shot him a warning look as she prepared to wrap up the conversation, no longer willing to give it anymore of her time; it had wasted enough as it was. "I will speak to the Agent involved, but I won't be taking the issue any further. I also suggest that you have words with your staff over how to conduct themselves properly in such scenarios, when emotions are running high. Both parties were at fault here," Jenny finished pointedly. "Goodbye Mr Hodgins."

She put the phone down, cutting out the stuttering of the flabbergasted man on the other end. Leaning back in her chair, she asked, "What do you want?"

"Here for my talking to," Gibbs quipped easily.

"It's not funny." Jenny only just resisted the urge to chuck her pen at him. "How many times do I have to go over this? You can't just manhandle people who are annoying you."

"He was skulking about my crime scene, two more seconds and his prints would've been everywhere."

"It wasn't what you did, it was the way you did it," Jenny sighed.

"I got the necessary result."

"Yes but you very nearly had yet another complaint lodged against you. You may not like the press-"

His inelegant snort interrupted her. "They're nothing but vultures."

"Believe it or not I do agree with you, but they affect the way we are portrayed to the public, and the public's opinion weighs heavily on the minds of those who decide our budget."

"Politics is your job, not mine."

"This is a federal agency, politics are always going to enter the equation. All I'm asking you is not to make things anymore difficult than they have to be. You could have used more tactful measures in getting that reporter off your crime scene."

"Would've taken longer."

Jenny shook her head, she was fighting a losing battle. Jethro and politics would never mix and today she just didn't have the energy to pursue the cause. She really regretted giving coffee up for lent, with hindsight it had been an incredibly stupid idea. Her gaze flittered longingly to Jethro's coffee. She shook herself and glanced back up at his face, ignoring the knowing smirk on his face. "What did you really come in here for?"

He pushed a file towards her, "Needs your signature."

She glanced at it in near disinterest, scanning it quickly, checking it was nothing outlandish before scrawling her name on the dotted line and handing it back. "That all?"

"Yup." Gibbs pushed himself to his feet, heading to the door, only pausing when Jenny called out.

"You've forgotten your coffee."

"Keep it," he called back over his shoulder.

Jenny grinned down at the cup and reached for it eagerly. Her smile widened when she discovered it was full and piping hot. She sipped at it and her toes curled in delight, just maybe it wouldn't be such a bad day after all.

The thought had just crept into her mind when her mobile rang, the vibrations causing it to dance across the desk. Sighing she looked down at the caller id, a frown taking up residence on her face when she saw it was Naomi. She hit the green answer button and was greeted by a stream of histrionics. "Naomi calm down. I can't understand you, what is it? What's wrong?"

The sobs decreased slightly, and the colour drained from Jenny's face as she was finally able to take in what had happened. Hanging up, Jenny swallowed heavily before hitting her intercom. "Cynthia I need to you to tell Hector to bring the car around, and I need you to cancel any afternoon appointments."

"Yes ma'am." Her tone growing slightly more concerned, she asked, "Is everything ok?"

"Fine, just something I need to sort out," Jenny replied dazedly.

* * *

By the time her town car had pulled into her street, Jenny's stomach had taken up residence in her chest. As she caught sight of the fire truck and police cars it seemed to migrate further north and into her throat. The car had only just stopped and she was out of it, walking towards her house. Which she had to say looked fine.

As she approached the drive, she was stopped by a fireman. "Whoa! You can't go in there."

"It's my house."

"Ah." He grimaced slightly at that.

Jenny shook her head. "I don't understand, it looks fine."

He gave a slight nod, "From the front…yeah it does. From the back," he pulled a face. "Not so much. That old oak tree you had round the back wasn't up to the winds. The structure itself is still stable, but you're going to need a whole new roof, not to sure about the back wall yet. We've also had to shut off the gas and electricity for safety reasons."

Jenny's eyes fluttered shut for a brief moment. "But no-one was hurt?"

"No, your housekeeper was in at the time, but she was downstairs. She's had a shock but apart from that she's fine."

"Good."

The man eyed her sympathetically. "We're about to cover the back with some tarpaulin, but after that you can go in and grab a few things."

"How long until it's live able?"

"Tough to say, I'm not a builder, but it could be a month or so." He glanced at her again, noting how she didn't seem to notice the fact that they heavy rain was now soaking through her fine jacket. "You should get out of the rain, I can get someone to call you when you're able to come and pick up your stuff.

Jenny swallowed heavily again before nodding, "Thank you. I need to go and sort out some things any way." She turned on her heel and headed back towards her car, adding in her head, like where I'm going to live.

* * *

**Just so we're clear, Jenny will NOT be moving in with Gibbs**

**xxx**


	2. Chapter 2

Pulling out the price list for the mini bar Jenny grimaced at the price of one of the mini bottles of alcohol, and after today's events she'd need to drink the lot to feel any better.

Letting out a hiss of air, she threw the laminated sheet to the side in disgust. She drank spirits on occasion, but she didn't like them enough to bankrupt herself raiding a hotel mini bar for them.

Her eyes drifted to the two cases and the few boxes she'd abandoned near the doorway, she supposed she should at least attempt to unpack. She'd be here for at least a few days until she found a suitable apartment to lease. Groaning, she lugged the first case over to the bed and unzipped it, carefully hanging her outfits in the closet and lining her shoes along the bottom in matching pairs. Once that was done, she turned her attention back to the boxes. Carefully, she lifted them, and placed them into a faraway corner. They didn't contain her clothes, jewellery or make up. Instead they had family photo albums, the decanter from her father's study and a few other sentimental items. She'd been told that it was safe to leave them in the house, but she wasn't taking any chances.

Swallowing heavily, she blinked back tears as she sank onto the bed. She rested her elbows on her knees and her chin on her hands. Her house was in ruins, something that hadn't really sunk in until she'd walked inside. Not only were her back two bedrooms only protected from the elements by a sheet of glorified plastic. But the walls of her hallway were streaked with dirt and the wallpaper was soaked through and in some spots had even started to peel. She shook her head, no she certainly wasn't about to leave anything that meant anything to her in there.

She ran a hand through her hair, grimacing at the tangled mess she encountered. Her hair did not react well to rain, it had a tendency to turn into frizz. Glancing up she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror and winced. Her makeup had long since abandoned her, and her while the majority of her face was even paler than usual, the apples of her cheeks were still red from the cold wind and rain.

Definitely time for a shower, she decided grimly as she got to her feet. Pulling a fluffy towel out of the cupboard she headed towards the bathroom, draping the towel over the heated towel rack for when she was done.

She let her clothes drop to the floor, instead of carrying out her usual routine of hanging up the suit jacket and skirt. Tonight she really wasn't bothered about creases, in fact they were at the very bottom of her ever-growing list of concerns.

Stepping under the spray of hot water, Jenny let out a small groan as it hit her cold skin and felt her tense muscles gradually loosen. Pouring a generous amount of shampoo onto her palm, she set to work in de-tangling her hair.

* * *

Gibbs slipped inside the room, looking around the room, he called out, "Jen?"

He moved further into the room and immediately became aware of the sound of running water. Shifting slightly on his feet, Gibbs attempted to bat away the mental image of Jenny in the shower before it led to images of the activities they used to indulge in while in the shower. He muttered a curse under his breath as those images followed regardless.

Shaking himself, he placed the bag of takeout on the small round table, and began laying it out neatly. He knew that Jenny wasn't the best at eating regularly when everything was running smoothly, so he'd figured that the best thing he could do for her was for the food to be placed right in front of her, and no excuse available for her to dodge it.

Jenny's security hadn't even raised an eyebrow when he'd shown up, the man on the door simply opening the door and standing to one side. Belatedly Gibbs wondered if they had the completely the wrong idea when it came to their relationship. He gave a small shrug, it didn't really bother him. Gossip about just how close he and Jenny were, was nothing new.

Laying out the plastic cutlery, Gibbs dropped down into one of the two chairs surrounding the table and flicking the bottle top onto the table he took a glug of beer and tried not to fixate on thoughts of Jenny in the shower.

As if someone was actually listening to him, the water finally shut off, and Gibbs prayed to God that she had something on when she walked out of there. Otherwise he really couldn't be held responsible for his actions.

* * *

Draping the oversized robe around her shoulders, Jenny pulled the sash tight and rolled up the sleeves. She rubbed at her hair with the towel, squeezing out the excess water before pulling open the door, her steps stopping abruptly when she saw who was waiting for her.

Continuing with the towel, she told him calmly, "One of these days you'll break in and I'll shoot you, I can always claim I thought you were an intruder."

He let out a throaty chuckle. "And to think I brought you dinner."

Jenny's eyes fell to the table. "I won't shoot you this time then," she replied easily as she slipped into the seat across from him. "Chinese," she muttered approvingly.

Passing her a bottle of beer, they fell into a comfortable silence while they ate. Halfway through the meal, Jenny finally spoke. "So how did you get into my locked hotel room?"

"Your detail let me in, they have a spare card thing."

"Key card," Jenny corrected him. "It's good to know that they respect my privacy," she joked.

He shrugged, knowing that if it was anyone else it wouldn't have been quite so easy to get past them. It was nice to know that the rumour mill had at least some benefits. After another moment of silence, he finally asked, "So how bad is it?"

Jenny grimaced as she replied, "It could be worse and at least no one was hurt."

"That wasn't what I asked." Gibbs eyed her carefully, knowing that she was putting on a brave front, knowing that that house meant a lot to her.

Her shoulders slumped. "The roof will need completely replaced. The two back bedrooms are completely ruined, although at least there was nothing valuable in them. The rain and dirt got into the hallway so it's going to need a complete overhaul. The back wall of the house appears to be stabled but I won't know until it's been properly checked."

"I know a pretty good contractor, if you don't have one already."

Jenny glanced up and gave a small smile, "I don't as it happens."

"I'll get his number for you."

Reaching across, Jenny squeezed his hand, "Thank you, Jethro."

He gave a brief nod, before turning his attention back to his meal, only to be distracted again by Jenny exclaiming, "Oh! Fortune cookies."

As she leaned forward the gown gaped, and Gibbs caught sight of her uncovered breasts. He stifled a groan, and she glanced up at him, her eyes clouded with concern. "Are you ok?"

He shifted in his seat, grounding out, "I'm fine."

Jenny eyes followed his flickering gaze and quickly realised just what had caught his attention. Her mouth twitched in amusement. "Get your mind out of the bedroom, Jethro."

He didn't point out the fact that essentially they were in her bedroom, instead he asked gruffly, "What your fortune?"

Grinning, Jenny tucked her robe neatly around herself and breaking open the cookie, read blandly aloud, "Life will throw you a pleasant curve." She looked back up to find Jethro struggling to not to laugh. Rolling the paper into a ball, she bounced it easily into the waste-paper basket and shot him a triumphant look as she bit into the cookie itself.

The conversation continued along easy lines for a while, until Gibbs noticed Jenny stifling a yawn. Getting to his feet he tugged her onto hers. "Bedtime," he announced. Her eyes widened at him, and he added, "I'll be going home. To my own bed."

"Or basement floor," she quipped neatly.

"Each to their own."

Laughing, Jenny pulled a mock sad face. "And here I thought I was about to get my pleasant curve."

Chuckling lowly in his throat, he went to place a fleeting kiss to her cheek, "G'night, Jen."

She turned her face to return the sentiment and felt the lips that had been aiming for her cheek brush her mouth instead. She shot a smile up at him. "Goodnight, Jethro."

She watched him grab his jacket and head towards the door. Once the heavy hotel door had swung shut, Jenny dropped down onto her bed, intending to close her eyes for a second and drifted off into an easy sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm sorry for the delay, I had a horrific essay to write and the rest of life got in the way. Due to this I think this story might be slightly longer than I expected as the updates will be shorter due to time constraints. Hope you enjoy xxx**"It's a big job."

* * *

"It's a big job."

Jenny gave a brief nod, grimacing as the back of her hand brushed against the damp wall. The house looked even worse in the light of day. "Are you able to take the job though?" she asked, trying to keep the anxious edge out of her voice.

Harry Gilmore gave her a sideways glance as he answered, "This time of year it's mainly small jobs, most people don't like to start a massive building project while the weather's so unpredictable, so I can have my guys start on Monday." He watched as her shoulders instantly relaxed.

"That's the first piece of good news I have all day," she informed him. And sadly she wasn't lying, she'd spent the morning viewing dismal apartments, a depressing task that was only broken by sorting out the necessary arrangements with her insurance company. Still she supposed she should be thankful that they weren't making things more difficult for her by digging their heels in, in a startling contrast to what she'd been expecting, they'd been amazingly helpful, which she found strange and unsettling.

"How long do you think it'll be until it's done?"

Harry ran a hand through his sandy coloured hair and let out a hiss of breath, "If it stays dry, then roughly a month. If the weather takes a turn for the worst then-" He gave a shrug, "It'll take longer."

"Well let's hope it stays dry then." Jenny remarked wryly. She glanced down at the elegant wrist watch on her slim wrist and let out an impatient hiss of air. "I'm afraid I need to run, I have another flat viewing to get to."

As he followed her down the driveway, he replied, "I'll fax you the rough estimate for the job."

Jenny gave a curt nod, her mind already somewhere else. Flashing him a polite smile, she shook his proffered hand. "I'll see you Monday morning."

"Bright and early." He grinned at her, watching as she slipped into the backseat of her town car. His eyes fixing on her slim thigh, watching more of the smooth tantalizing flesh come into view as her skirt slid up slightly in response to her movements.

The car door slammed shut, and his view changed to that of her security detail glaring at him. Harry flashed him a cheeky grin and gave a small shrug, not the least bit bothered at being caught staring. She was a damn attractive woman, as far as he was concerned it would've been stranger not to look.

Walking towards his truck, he shook his head, there was no doubt in his mind that Jennifer Sheppard was a class act. What really confused him was where Gunny came into it, whether he was involved with her, or if he was just doing his boss a favour. Knowing the man as he did though, and his predilection for redheads, Harry was convinced that it couldn't be the latter, and if Gunny wasn't involved with her….well then that just meant that at the very least he was in with a shot.

* * *

Leaning against the doorjamb, Jenny raised a single eyebrow in amusement, her tone wry she remarked, "so you do know how to knock."

Gibbs didn't reply, merely inclined his head waiting the brief second it took her to move out of the entranceway to her hotel room and let him pass. He laid the bag down on the table, and once again began laying out its contents. Moving closer to the table, she asked, "What's on the menu tonight?"

"Italian."

Jenny smiled approvingly as she slipped into her seat, waiting until he sat down across from her before tucking in. another few moments past in comfortable silence before she asked, "So dinner two nights in a row, what have I done to earn such a privilege?"

Gibbs took a slug of his drink, using the few seconds to formulate his answer. Truthfully he wasn't sure why exactly he was here, he felt a tug in his gut that forced him to acknowledge that it might have a little to do with the conversation he'd had with Harry that afternoon. His friend had obviously been taken with Jenny, and had been phoning to check that he wouldn't be treading on anyone's toes if he was to turn on the charm.

Gibbs felt his fingers curl tighter around the bottle. He hadn't really known what to say, jealousy wasn't an emotion he really ever experienced, but in that moment he'd felt it surge through him. It hadn't felt right to tell him to keep away, so he'd muttered some non-committal response. Placing the bottle back down on the table with a resounding click, he met Jenny's curious gaze and finally replied, "Just thought I'd do something nice for my old partner."

"You've used that line before."

"Still stands. So how'd it go today?"

Jenny gave a shrug, "I found an apartment."

"What's it like?"

"Fine, it's in a duplex downtown. Modern but not like one of those soulless white boxes they're trying to pass off as the in thing. It's comfortable and it ticks all the right boxes."

"You don't seem to thrilled about that, least it'll get you out of here."

"True."

"But," Gibbs prompted her.

Sighing, Jenny speared a bit of mushroom with her fork. "It's not my home, it's someone else's. My home an uninhabitable mess."

"What did Harry say?"

"It'll take a month minimum to fix up." She gave a slight frown, "He faxed me the price estimate earlier and I'm pretty sure he's undercharging me."

"Probably is," Gibbs acknowledged.

"How do you know him anyway? You never said."

"We were in the core together."

Jenny smiled, her head tilting to one side. "I can't really see him as a marine."

"It was a family tradition, he hated it but unlike others he just got on with it, served his time."

"He seems like a nice guy."

Gibbs felt his gut clench again, he gave a terse nod of agreement. "Yeah. He is." Feeling decidedly uncomfortable, he felt the intense need to steer the conversation away from this subject. "You need a hand moving?"

For a moment Jenny thought about turning down his offer, after all she didn't really have a lot to move, and what she did have her detail could easily handle, but she was enjoying spending time with Jethro and she didn't really want it to end any sooner than it had to. "That would be great. I'm sure my detail will be grateful for the day off."

"We should be able to do it in one if I bring the truck. When do you move in?"

"Saturday. I've to collect the keys at twelve."

"Pick you up at half eleven then."

"Perfect." Jenny smiled at him, and he couldn't help but notice how much more relaxed she was, the tension of a few minutes ago having melted away.

******************

The rest of the meal passed quickly, and all too soon Gibbs realised that it was time for him to leave. They headed towards the door in silence, when he reached it, he turned around to face her. "You back in the office tomorrow?"

"Yes." Jenny frowned suspiciously, "Why what have you done?"

Gibbs couldn't help but laugh. "Nothing, just the place has been quiet without you."

"Really?" Jenny smirked at him. "Is having no one to butt heads against making you frustrated."

He ignored the sly dig and smirked right back at her. "Goodnight, Jen." Leaning forward he brushed his lips across her cheek, his hand brushing against her bare arm. As he drew back slightly he caught her darkened gaze, and unthinkingly moved forward again, this time brushing his lips against hers, unsure whether or not she'd reciprocate.

She did, she moved into his embrace. Her mouth increasing the pressure, her lips parting under his, he ran his tongue along her lip before brushing the tip of it across hers. His hands slipped to her waist as hers entwined in his hair, each pulling the other closer until finally they had to break apart for air. Breathing heavily, they moved apart. It was Jenny broke the ensuing silence, "I'll see you at work tomorrow then. Goodnight, Jethro."

Gibbs didn't reply, instead he just left, as confused as hell. While on the other side of the door, Jenny shook her head, trying to get her head together and not just focus on how fantastic that clandestine kiss had felt.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: An admittedly short chapter, but I felt that it should end where it does. Also this chapter was never part of the original line-up, so to speak. As a result I'm not sure how it works, but I felt I needed something to break up the scenes a bit, I didn't want the chapters to seem to similiar and I wanted to move the plot along slightly. So constructive critisicm is welcome.**

**As always, thanks for the reviews so far and your patience with my somewhat sporadic updates.**

* * *

Gibbs eyes scanned the crowded bar until he'd located Harry lounging at one of the small booths in the corner of the square room. Squeezing his way through the crowd - the vast majority of whom were standing screaming at the TV screen - he finally reached the table.

Harry's eyes slid away from TV and he grinned at him, standing up and slapping him on the shoulder, he greeted him loudly and cheerfully, "Gunny, it's good to see you!"

Affording him a small grin, Gibbs replied, "You too."

They both sat down, and Harry shoved a bottle in his direction. "Bought you a drink, next round's on you."

"Fair enough," Gibbs shrugged.

Leaning back in his seat, Harry took a slug of beer and surveyed the man across from him. "Thought you were gonna turn me down when we spoke on the phone yesterday." When no reply was forthcoming he continued, "None o' us seen you for a while."

Gibbs shrugged again, "You know what it's like."

"Very true." Harry shot a sly grin in his direction before asking, "So any more weddings on the horizon?"

Letting out a small chuckle, Gibbs shook his head wryly, "Think I've finally learned my lesson."

"That's what they all say," came the cheerful reply. Harry pushed a careless hand through his sandy hair and drained the rest of his beer. It was a lot easier to joke about the subject of Gunny's numerous divorces than it was to even touch upon the subject of his first marriage. Harry had been there on the day he'd been given the news of his wife and daughter's deaths and he had no intention of putting that look back onto Gunny's face, he'd stick to the artless banter. Leaning even further back in his seat Harry jumped straight to his main point. "Your Director's quite the looker."

"Wondered when we'd get round to this," Gibbs stated dryly.

"Can you blame me?" Harry didn't even wait for a reply before he continued, "You never really gave me any answers when we spoke yesterday on the phone."

"I was working," came the blunt reply.

"And now you're not, so is she seeing anyone?"

"No."

Harry nodded and almost imperceptivity narrowed his eyes, it hadn't escaped his notice that the man across from him had tensed up in the last few seconds, further adding to his suspicions. "I got the impression that she knows you quite well."

"Did you now?" Gibbs raised an almost sardonic eyebrow, knowing full well that his friend was fishing for information.

"So she's just your boss?"

"Where exactly are you going with this?" Gibbs sighed impatiently.

Smirking, Harry replied, "We all know about your penchant for red heads, that and you went to the effort of giving her my number, told her to drop your name in there. You must've known I'd feel obligated to help her out. Lot o' trouble to go to for a woman who's just your boss…" he tailed off meaningfully.

Gibbs suddenly felt the urge to down his drink, he didn't know how to define his relationship with Jenny, had struggled to do so from the minute she re-appeared, and last night's kiss hadn't helped the matter. Reigning himself in, he hastily took a sip of beer, and keeping his tone even, answered, "We were partners."

"Partners?" Harry echoed questionably, his brow furrowed, "What the Hell does that mean?"

"We worked together."

"Just work?"

"Cut to the point," Gibbs growled.

"Just that I don't want to be stepping on anybody's toes," Harry replied, although that wasn't strictly true, anyone else and it probably wouldn't have stopped him, but he owed Gunny his life and he wasn't going to so much as stare at the woman if he was interested.

"Well as far as I know, you've got nothing to worry about there."

Harry nodded, not believing that answer for a second but deciding to play along regardless. "Great," he grinned. "I'll turn on the charm then." He watched with something near to amusement when he saw the briefest flash of annoyance cross the other man's face. All the while knowing full well that his intentions towards Jennifer Sheppard would have to remain professional, which was a damn shame - for him.

* * *

Gibbs scrubbed a hand across his jaw as he stumbled slightly coming out of the bar. The conversation had turned far easier to handle once they'd moved away from the subject of Jenny, and the meeting had ended with Harry inviting him to join him and a few more of their old buddies for drinks in a couple of weeks. He wasn't sure if it was the drink but for once he was actually considering it.

Eyeing his truck parked across the street, he frowned. There was no way he'd be able to drive home, he'd have to come pick it up in the morning before going to pick up Jenny. Jenny, at that thought he glanced at his watch, grimacing when he saw the time. If he turned up now she'd kill him, and yet he wanted to talk to her, wanted to find out what that kiss had meant to her. Although in the very back of his mind he suspected that this sudden loquaciousness had more to do with the alcohol he'd consumed than anything else.

Deciding the fresh air from walking home would do him good, he buried his hands in his pockets as he morosely shook his head. He'd never been good at voicing his feelings, wasn't into big romantic gestures - he found them to be more than a little false. No, he preferred to show woman how he felt, the whole actions speak louder deal - not that they'd always appreciated it, although Jenny had always understood it. At least he thought she had until she left. Problem was, how did he show her how he felt, when he didn't have a damn clue if she felt the same way!

He let out a tiny growl of frustration, why couldn't things just be simple for a change. Why did it all have to be so complicated.


	5. Chapter 5

**This story seems to have taken on a life of it's own. It doesn't seem to be coming out quite right, but after a week or so with struggling with it I'm just going to go with the flow and see where it ends up. If it's truly awful then hopefully I'll at least learn from it.**

* * *

Tugging her hair into a short, loose ponytail Jenny surveyed her hotel room for one last time, trying to remember if there was anything she'd forgotten to pack. After checking the place one more time - just in case - she sat down at the table, waiting for Jethro to arrive.

As she waited her fingers drummed agitatedly against the wood, she wasn't entirely sure how she should act around him today, she hadn't seen him since they'd kissed. Although she had secretly hoped that he would have turned up last night as he'd done the past few nights and was more than a little disappointed when he hadn't.

She let out a deep sigh, maybe that was a message for her, telling her it had been a one off and a mistaken one off at that. Jenny shook her head, she shouldn't be letting this bother her so much. It was just that it had felt so good to be so close to him again, to feel his lips on hers and his hands pulling her closer and closer to him until….Shaking her head Jenny dragged herself out of her little fantasy and placed her cold hands against her cheeks which she could feel had flushed, one of the curses of being so fair skinned.

Just as she'd managed to pull herself out of her previous fluster, she heard the greatly anticipated knock against the door. Swallowing heavily, she checked the mirror to make sure her face wasn't still glowing red before heading to answer it.

*****************

Gibbs leaned casually against the wall as he waited patiently for Jenny to answer the door, somewhat grateful that he'd dodged a hangover after last nights alcohol excess and curious to see how Jenny would react to him.

He didn't have to wait long, the door swung open only a second later to reveal Jenny dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. She graced him with a small smile as she told him, "There isn't much to move, a couple of suitcases and a few boxes. We should be able to carry it down in three runs max."

Giving a small nod, Gibbs watched as she knelt down to pick up her bag, his head cocking to the side to get a better view. He smirked slightly at the view he was afforded, Jenny always looked amazing in jeans.

Biting down on her bottom lip in an attempt to suppress the triumphant smile that was creeping onto her face, Jenny fought the urge to call Jethro out on his blatant staring. The only thing stopping her was the fact that she was actually enjoying the fact that he still enjoyed watching her. Maybe despite the fact that he'd stayed away last night she had a chance to rekindle what they'd once had, either way she was determined to get her answer. She didn't want anymore regrets. Straightening up she grabbed the handles of two of her cases and flashed him a wide smile. "Ready?"

* * *

Watching the muscles in Jethro's forearms tense and relax as he placed the last box onto the polished wooden floor of her new apartment, Jenny gave a small smile as he glanced up at her. He gave a casual glance around the room. "It's nice," he informed her.

She gave a brief nod. "It's not too bad I suppose, it's just not mine.". Her face took on a more serious expression as she continued, "Thank you, Jethro and I don't just mean for today. You being here over the last couple of days has meant a lot to me."

"We're friends Jenny, you only have to ask."

Jenny took a deep breath - God men were dim sometimes - and tried again, "Well not including hospitals and car chases when was the last time we were alone together?"

"I brought you dinner that time in your office," he pointed out.

"You did," Jenny agreed, although that hadn't been the memory she'd been trying to provoke. Deciding to give it one last try, she amended herself, "I actually meant out of the office altogether."

Gibbs frowned slightly as that last statement hung in the air. He knew the answer but he wasn't sure where she was headed with this line. "Paris," he replied softly.

At that her smile softened and she moved closer. "Once upon a time I would have asked you to stay and I wouldn't have taken no for an answer."

He stared at her for a moment, his mind processing what she was telling him. "What's changed, Jen?" She frowned up at him, so he clarified, "You made it clear you didn't want any off the job."

Her gaze left his for a moment as she considered how best to answer, before trailing back. "I'd only just been made Director, Jethro. How would it have looked if one of my first moves was to start an affair with one of my lead agents?"

"And now?"

"Now it might cause a slight backlash but it won't be a career killer."

"You say the sweetest things," Gibbs drawled.

Jenny glared at him but kept her voice steady as she replied. "My career is important to me, I've worked hard to get to where I am now. Yes there are some things I wished I'd done differently but I can't change that. We both made mistakes but I still wish I hadn't walked away."

Gibbs watched her, saw that she'd let the normally impregnable defences around herself drop and he could read her every emotion in her bright green eyes. He stepped closer to her, into her personal space, suppressing the urge to smile when she moved closer still. "You're right," he admitted grudgingly. "I shouldn't have brought that up so soon. But dammit Jen, you have no idea how much I missed you."

Her head tilting so she could look up at him and one hand curving around his arm she smiled up at him. "I missed you too, Jethro."

His hand moved to the back of her head, tugging her hair out of its neat ponytail and running his fingers through the silken strands, pulling her face to his. Their lips had just touched and no more when the shrill tone of his mobile broke the heavy silence. Letting out a stream of curse words that would've made most blush, Gibbs yanked the offending item out of his pocket and glared at it, he was seriously considering throwing it out the window. Finally he hit the acceptance button, barking out, "Gibbs."

He listened half heartedly to the person on the other end before hanging up and letting out another stream of expletives. When he noticed Jenny's arched eyebrow, he explained, "Caught a case."

She grimaced, "I forgot you were on call this weekend."

He nodded, "Rain check?" he asked hopefully.

Her green eyes sparkling Jenny placed a chaste kiss to his lips. "I've waited this long, I can wait a little while longer."

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**Story shall be going up in rating for the next chapter :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**I only just realised last night exactly how long I'd left this for, with the intention of fixing it.**

**But I still can't figure out what was bothering me about it. And since the original documents are floating in cyberspace and are no longer on either my laptop or the document manager I decided just to finish it off before I went away.**

**There will be an epilogue to round off the story, I don't feel it's right to end it here. And it should hopefully go up either Thursday or Friday.**

**This chapter is M rated, so children avert your eyes.**

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Padding softly through from the kitchen, Jenny paused at the window, watching as the rain lashed down outside. She sipped at her scalding coffee and her lips pursed together, she hoped that it stopped soon, otherwise it was going to impact on the building work - which was supposed to start in the morning.

Sighing, Jenny shook her head and made instead to the sofa, dropping onto it. She should, in all honesty be doing some of the mountainous pile of paperwork she had, but she simply couldn't concentrate. Her eyes narrowed as she took another sip of her coffee. It had been almost thirty six hours since she'd last spoken to Jethro, and to say that she was feeling frustrated was putting it mildly.

Cradling her mug in one hand, she reached for her book, only to realise ten minutes later that she had just read the same page at least three times and she still had no idea what it said. She pulled her lip between her teeth, wondering what she could do to keep her mind occupied. Sleep was out of the question her mind was buzzing away too much to allow her to switch off. She could go for a bath, try to relax, although she really didn't see that working.

The thought then occurred to her; bourbon. A glass or two of that should help her sleep better, although it did hold certain memories of the man she was trying to push to one side. Heading to her liquor cabinet, she grabbed both the decanter and a glass. Pouring a herself a generous amount she was just about to sit down again when she was interrupted by her flat's buzzer. Walking over, she hit the intercom. "Hello."

Gibbs voice floated through the speaker. "Jen, you'll need to let me in."

She couldn't help but grin at the fact that for once he hadn't been able to just stroll in unannounced. Opening her apartment door, she leaned against the door jamb, waiting for him.

He appeared only seconds later, completely soaked through, his hair plastered to his head, his cheeks flushed red from the combination of the rain and the howling winds.

Jenny's smirk fell from her face, he must be freezing! He stepped into the flat, kicking the door shut behind him, and she couldn't help but notice that he was dripping onto the pristine white rug. "I'll get you a towel," she told him.

As she went to turn away, he grabbed her wrist and managed to back her against the wall, his mouth dropping onto hers. There was absolutely no pretence of any gentleness about his kiss as he nipped along her bottom lip before tracing his tongue over it until she gave him the entrance he sought.

Just when it felt like her lungs were going to explode, he pulled back - slightly - darkened eyes watching her. "I take it your case is finished then?" she asked, her brain unable to think of anything else to fill the silence at that particular moment in time.

Gibbs nodded, his eyes scanning over her. He was only just repressing the urge to take her against the wall. For the last day all he'd been able to think about was this moment, and as a result he'd ended up getting more and more frustrated, which had led to absolute misery for his team. He leaned closer again, planning to take the moment further, when he felt her shiver. Glancing down he noticed that thanks to him her front was soaked, her green cami top stained where he'd pressed against her and clinging to her skin. "Christ, Jen," he mumbled. "I didn't-"

She placed a finger over his lips, shushing him. She grinned up at him teasingly. "I have a fire in the living room, we could get out of these wet clothes and warm ourselves up."

The concern on his face melted away and he laughed, nodding, he replied, "That sounds like one hell of an idea."

Planting her palm firmly on his chest, she pushed him away from her and propelled him towards the sitting room. "Go through, I'll bring you a towel."

Waiting until he'd disappeared into the room, Jenny headed towards the airing cupboard and grabbed a towel. Tucking it under her arm, she headed back through, stopping in her tracks when she saw him. He was standing in front of the fire with his back to her, his jacket having already been discarded and his shirt rapidly heading the same way. She watched as the soaked, transparent material dropped to the ground, and ran her eyes over the expanse of his back, over his strong shoulders and down. She could see his fingers begin to undo his belt buckle, and her tongue darted out to wet her bottom lip as his jeans and boxers hit the floor with a heavy thud. Her head tilted to one side as she gazed at his ass. His voice broke through the silence. "Never had you pegged for a voyeur, Jen."

Her head snapped up, and she met his laughing eyes. She smirked over at him, replying, "Look at you, using your big boy words."

She threw the towel over to him, continuing to stand and watch as he dried himself off, the thought suddenly occurring to her that it was a good thing she's already shut her curtains, or her neighbours would be getting quite the show.

Once he was done, he threw the towel to one side, he nodded his head at her. "You're still wet."

Arching an eyebrow, she merely replied, "Mmm hmm."

Gibbs eyes darkened further, a feat she hadn't been sure was even possible up until now, and his jaw clenched. Slowly but surely, she let her fingers stray to the hem of her top and tugged it over her head and off, her breasts bouncing slightly as they were freed from there constraints.

A smiled tugged at her lips as she watched his gaze lock onto them, for a supposed leg man he had always seemed overly fond of that particular attribute.

He reached out, tugging her to him, his mouth tracing the elegant line of her throat and down over her collarbone, his hands cupping her breasts, his thumbs sweeping over her erect nipples. Jenny let out a low moan, her hands tugging his head closer as he replaced his fingers with his mouth. Her back arched and her fingers tangled in the short strands of his wet hair.

His free hand slipped down, tugging off the pair of sweat pants she had on, leaving her completely exposed to his gaze.

Somehow - and neither one was entirely sure how - they ended up on the rug in front of the fire. Jenny kissed her way down Gibbs chest, her only stopping to tease one flat nipple with her tongue. Gibbs groaned as her hand dipped lower, her hand running teasingly up his length. His eyes rolled back, and as they did so, he managed to catch a glimpse of the glass of bourbon still sitting on the coffee table.

His hands tightened on her arms, pulling her up so she was level with him, and catching her mouth with his, he rolled them so she was pined under him. Smirking, he used one hand to lazily caress her skin, as he reached for the glass.

Jenny's eyes, which had fluttered shut when he'd kissed her, snapped open just in time to see him grab the glass. "What are you-"

She stopped and gasped as a dash of the amber liquid hit her sternum, dribbling off in all different directions. She gasped again as Gibbs mouth descended, following the liquid trail, capturing them with his tongue, not missing a single drop.

Once he was done, he kissed her again, letting her taste the drink from his mouth. She arched, moaning against his mouth, wanting more. He pulled back, mumbling, "Bourbon tastes good on you, Jen."

Pulling her jumbled thoughts together, she somehow managed to get out, "Don't you think I should get to return the favour?" Although her voice sounded hoarse even to her own ears.

"Later," he muttered against her skin. "Much later."

He moved over her, and she shifted, drawing her legs up. He thrust his full length into her in one stroke. Her back arched and legs wrapped around his waist as she cried out.

She coaxed his mouth to hers for another kiss as she dug her ankles into the small of his back, urging him on.

He gasped against her throat, his pace fast and urgent. His hand moved downwards, rubbing at her firmly and she jerked under him, a choked moan escaping from her throat.

Lifting his head, he met her gaze, eyes locking together just as the first waves of her orgasm hit her. It was more intense than she'd expected and as she pulsated around him she screamed, her head thrown back as she tried to gasp for air.

Gibbs groaned, thrusting hard into her one last time, his vision whiting around the edges as he came. His fingers still rubbing at her clit, she whimpered as he drew out yet more tiny spasms of pleasure from her, the aftershocks jolting down her spine.

When he knew she couldn't take anymore stimulation, he drew his hand away, moving it instead to stroke her hipbone.

Jenny kissed him languidly, mouths barely moving as they slowly came down from their shared high.

Gibbs dropped onto the rug beside her, tugging her into his side, while reaching for the sofa throw and pulling it over them. He yawned, exhausted, and felt her smile against his shoulder. As Jenny drifted off to sleep, he could hear the rain continue to batter at that window panes, and he smiled as he realised he actually now quite liked the rain.


	7. Chapter 7

**Just a short epilogue to wrap the story up :)**

**If I can manage it I'll try to update Relaxation Techniques before I go away, but no promises. And that supernatural story I mentioned is not going to happen, the plot just doesn't work with the characters.**

**Thanks for all the reviews so far :) **

**And for sticking with me even after this story's hiatus.**

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**7 Weeks Later**

Jumping out of Gibbs truck, Jenny walked quickly over to where Harry was lounging against her front door. He shot her a lazy smile as he pushed himself off the door, greeting her warmly, "Jenny." His eyes travelled to where Gibbs was striding up behind her. "And Gunny." He grinned. "Didn't expect to see you here."

"He's my security detail for the day," Jenny answered easily.

Harry's mouth twitched. "Watches your six, does he?"

Gibbs glared, while Jenny tried to put a stern reprimanding look on her face, when that failed, she neatly changed the subject. "So are you going to show me what you've been doing for the past seven weeks or are we just going to stand here and make idle chit chat."

"If it was just the two of us I'd go for the latter, but I reckon idle chit chat might just make that vein on Gunny's forehead head pop." Harry pressed the door keys into Jenny's hands. "Ladies first," he smiled.

As soon as she stepped through the door, the smell of fresh paint assaulted her nostrils. The stained and torn wallpaper from the hallway had been stripped off and the walls painted. Jenny smiled over her shoulder, she suddenly felt unbelievably excited at the thought of having her home back, and in one piece. "I'm just going to check the upstairs."

Gibbs nodded, his hand shooting out to prevent Harry from following. "We'll wait here."

Harry waited until Jenny was gone before turning to Gibbs. "So…..now that I'm not working for Jenny I thought I could ask her for a drink." He shot him a sidelong glance, watching in amusement as Gibbs jaw clenched.

"Scuttlebutt is she's seeing someone," he finally ground out.

"You never used to go in for scuttlebutt."

"Things change."

"Uh huh." Harry smirked, then muttered under his breath. "You lucky son of a bitch."

Gibbs couldn't help the self satisfied smile that appeared on his face. They looked up as Jenny appeared at the top of the stairs, she moved gracefully down the stairs. "You did an amazing job," she smiled.

Harry shrugged. "Just doing my job."

"Well if a tree ever falls onto my roof again I'll give you a call."

"Good to know," Harry laughed. "Well if you're happy with everything then I guess I'll get going."

Jenny shook his hand. "Thank you."

"It was a pleasure to meet you." He turned to Gibbs. "Gunny it was good to see you again.

"And you."

As the front door shut behind Harry, Jenny sashayed over to Gibbs, her fingers brushing over his chest. She smiled up at him, batting her eyelids innocently, she asked, "So do you want to help me christen my new two rooms?"

"Hell yeah," Gibbs mumbled his lips lowering to hers, just as the first few drops of rain began to fall outside.


End file.
